Display rack



June 16, 1931.

H. L. BEACH DISPLAY RACK Filed May 9, 1930 I I INVENTOR /7 fiLlieacfi/ ATTORNEYS of structural angles.

Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE HARRY L. BEACH, OF COSHOCT'ON, OHIO DISPLAY RACK Application filed May 9, 1930. Serial No. 451,048." I

This invention relates to display racks and, among other objects, aims to provide an improved collapsible metal rackfor automobile tires and the like.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a rack embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of a supporting leg and one of the rack carrying members.

In order to display automobile tires of different makes and sizes to the best advantage, it is desirable to support them on stepped racks or holders so that the upper portion of each tire is visible and the customer can see its name. been displayed on stepped wooden stands or placed, side by side, in show windows. These methods of display require a great deal more space than is necessary. This invention, therefore, aims to provide an improved relatively simple and handy portable metal rack having provision to carry a number of tires in such manner that they can easily be inspected by customers.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the preferred design of rack is there shown as embodying a vertical frame having spaced uprights 10, conveniently composed The upright members are connected at their lower ends by means of an angle bar 11 and at their upper ends by a cross bar 12 to the latter of which may be secured an ordinary display plate13. The width of the frame is preferably slightly less than the outside diameter of the tires to be supported, so that the frame is practically hidden by the tires.

A pair of rack-supporting leg members 14, also conveniently composed of structural angles, are here shown as being pivotally connected at their upper ends to the flanges of the uprights 10 by means of pivots 1 1a.

These leg members are adapted to be swung inwardly like the legs of an easel against the vertical frame so that the rack can be Heretofore, tires have usually collapsed and shipped in a relatively smallcarton or crate. The upper ends of the. supporting legs are conveniently beveled, as shown *in'Fig. 2, so that the toe portions will act as stops against the rear flanges of the uprights 10 when the legs are opened and inclined at an angle to the vertical, as shown. The lower ends of the supporting legs are shown ashaving across brace 15 correspondingtobarll. p i

To hold the legs extended, braces 16 in the form of flat metal bars 'may be bolted to the flan es of the uprights andv of the supporting egs. The arrangement is such that one of the bolts 16a on each brace may beremoved and they may be swung against the rear flanges of the uprights when the rack is collapsed.

Connected at intervals to the supporting legs 14 are a'series of cross'bars 17 conveniently made of flat pieces of metal, each having end ears l8'bent at right-angles and pivoted as at 18a to the side flanges of the legs. The width of the flat cross bars and the location of their pivots are such that their upper edges contact with the front flanges of the legs 14 when they are swung to a vertical position or lie in vertical planes, as clearly shown in dotted lines inFig. 4.

Thus the cross bars cannot swing counterclockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, and may supporta load. are inthe full line position of Fig. 4 (see also the uppermost cross bar in Figs. 1 and 2), their outer edges are in contact with the outer flanges of legs 14, and hence cannotbe swung clockwise. Thus the flanges of legs l llimit swinging of the cross bars on their pivots 18a. 1

To each of. the .pivoted cross bars 17, a U-shaped tire supporting member 19 is socured. In this instance, the tire supporting members are made of round bars having their ends screw-threaded and they are connected to the pivoted cross bars by means of nuts 20 on both sides of the bars, the arrangement being such that the nuts may be tightened against the opposite faces of the cross bars to hold the supporting members rigid. Moreover, this connection enables lVhen the cross bars 7 restricted to they particular embodiment the supporting members to be adjusted so as to accommodate tires of different thicknesses.

The entire rack is conveniently supported on castors or rollers 21 which are secured to the cross braces 11 and 15 adjacent to their ends or near the corners of the bottom portion of the rack. i

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a series of tires may be supported side by side in vertical planes-by the improved supporting members. The shape of the bars 19 which receive the tires between them and the cross bars 17 is such that the lower portion of the tire cannot slip through them between their bent ends. Furthermore, the construction of the improved rack is such that it can be made very cheaply of standard structural parts. It is durable and has no Weak parts whichare easily. broken.

Moreover, it can be collapsed and shipped in a relatively small crate or shipping space.

Obviously, the present invention is not thereof herein shown and described.

What I claim is: 1

1. A tire display rack comprising, in combination, a frame having upright members; rack supporting legspivotally connected at their upper ends to said upright members intermediate their ends; cross barspivotally connected at intervals to said supporting legs; and U-shape'd tire engaging rods adjustably secured to said cross bars. 7

2. A tire display rack comprising, in combination, an upright frame; a pair of inclined legs secured to the frame, said legs being made of angles each wlth one flange on the outside, said flanges extending toward each other, the other two flanges of the angles lying in vertical planes and inside of the first named flanges; a series of spaced cross bars each having end ears pivoted to the IIISIClG'flBJIgQS and contacting along one longitudinal edge with the inside faces of the outside flanges; and a tire-supporting member secured at its opposite ends to each cross bar and spaced therefrom a suflicient distance to admit therebetween the lower portion of a tire treadwise and lying in a substantially horizontal plane so as to support a tire in a substantially vertical position; the several tires so supported being spaced from each other so as to facilitate re- -moval and replacement of the individual' tires.

HARRY L. BEACH;

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as w my own, I havehereto affixed my signature. 

